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Titans news and analysis from Tennessean.comSun, 16 Mar 2014 15:26:22 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.6Fewell eager for return gig in Music Cityhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/titans/2011/02/05/fewell-eager-for-return-gig-in-music-city/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/titans/2011/02/05/fewell-eager-for-return-gig-in-music-city/#commentsSat, 05 Feb 2011 19:12:07 +0000JOHN GLENNON, The Tennesseanhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/titans/?p=12577One thing’s for sure about Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell: He didn’t feel out of place in Nashville on Friday while interviewing with the Titans.

Fewell grew very familiar with Music City during a stretch of eight years, spending three (1995-97) as an assistant at Vanderbilt and the next five as secondary coach of the Jaguars, who traveled here once every season for AFC South battles.

Fewell coached in Jacksonville when the Titans-Jaguars rivalry was at its height. Tennessee got the better of Fewell and the Jaguars during that half decade, posting an 8-3 record that included a win in the 1999 AFC Championship game.

“I’ve competed against the Titans many times since I was in the league,” Fewell said Friday following his interview. “I started in ’98 in Jacksonville, and obviously we had some really good battles. They’ve always been a tough, physical football team. So when you have an opportunity to interview with a team that has a good tradition like the Titans, you jump at that chance.”

Prior to jumping to the NFL, Fewell coached defensive backs during his stay at Vandy, adding the title of assistant head coach in his final season. The Commodores were 7-26 those three years.

“It was a good time for myself and my wife,” Fewell said. “We enjoyed the city of Nashville and Vanderbilt University, the people of Nashville. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to come back and interview here.”

Fewell said he left the interview feeling upbeat.

“I think I could work with the Titans organization and help bring a winner to Tennessee,” he said. “I like the way (the front-office members) work together. I’m not saying all organizations don’t work together. But it seems like there was a good meeting-of-the-minds interview.

“We were able to talk through situations and talk about certain situations. The dialogue was very free-flowing and it was good.”

Fewell will now wait on word for the Titans, who are expected to soon pick a new coach from a group that includes Fewell, Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, Titans offensive line coach Mike Munchak and Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger.

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/titans/2011/02/05/fewell-eager-for-return-gig-in-music-city/feed/0Whisenhunt endorses Fewell for Titanshttp://blogs.tennessean.com/titans/2011/02/04/whisenhunt-endorses-fewell-for-titans/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/titans/2011/02/04/whisenhunt-endorses-fewell-for-titans/#commentsFri, 04 Feb 2011 20:34:58 +0000JIM WYATT, The Tennesseanhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/titans/?p=12546DALLAS — Like Cardinals Coach Ken Whisenhunt, Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell established himself in coaching at Vanderbilt. They two coaches were on the same staff in 1995-96, and Fewell ended up staying until ’97.

Whisenhunt said it was clear then that Fewell was destined for bigger things. And over the years he grew more impressed after coaching against him in the NFL. Next, Fewell is interviewing with the Titans, who need a head coach.

“From my association with him at Vanderbilt, I remember what a special coach I thought Perry was at that time,” Whisenhunt said Friday on Radio Row at the Super Bowl. “To watch him have grown the way he has grown in the league and do the things he has done has been impressive. I think any time you’ve had to work your way up and had success at each stage working your way up, it prepares you for that opportunity.”

Whisenhunt also spoke highly of Mike Mularkey, who he coached with in Pittsburgh: “I feel like he will be a good head coach in the league again.”

Fewell served as interim head coach of the Bills before joining the Giants last year. He’s also coached with the Jaguars, Bears and Rams. He was an assistant head coach/secondary coach at Vanderbilt.

“I think personality-wise he is a good fit for that position as far as being able to handle a team, talk to the players, manage the media and do the things you have to do,” Whisenhunt said. “He is a very thoughtful, intelligent, caring coach that has a passion about the sport and I think that will serve him well.”

Considering the Titans have at least those two interviews to complete, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that they will name Jeff Fisher’s replacement before next week.

It’s only logical: The Titans wouldn’t schedule a press conference mere hours after a final candidate is interviewed, and they almost certainly wouldn’t schedule one on Super Bowl Sunday. But I don’t imagine – barring unforeseen surprises – that the suspense will extend much past the early portion of next week.

So far, the four known candidates are Fewell, Mularkey, Titans offensive line coach Munchak and Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger. Munchak and Heimerdinger have already interviewed.

If, for instance, offensive line coach Mike Munchak lands the top job – and he remains the favorite – does that alter his relationship with offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger, who would technically have been passed over for someone lower on the ladder on his team? Or would Heimerdinger be fine with it, given the long bond that exists between the two men?

I suppose the reverse question could be asked if Heimerdinger is picked, given that Munchak has been with the organization as both a player and coach for the past 29 years.

And then there’s linebackers/assistant head coach Dave McGinnis, who’s been very quiet since the end of the season. Despite the fact he served as Cardinals head coach for three seasons, it’s looking as if McGinnis will not get an interview. Would that irk him enough to look for work elsewhere?

Would that mean the end for Heimerdinger, Munchak and other Titans assistants, given that 1) Heimerdinger and Munchak would have been passed over and 2) that new coaches – those hired from outside an organization – generally like to fill a staff with their own choice of assistants.

On the other hand, the fact that all the current assistants were recently signed to contract extensions could benefit some. It’s hard to believe (though not unthinkable) that owner Bud Adams would want to pay two separate staffs for an entire year, so that could mean a new coach is more likely to hold onto a number of current assistants.

No matter how many assistants are retained by the next new head coach, there will still be holes to fill on the staff. The Titans right now are without a defensive coordinator, defensive line coach, running backs coach and receivers coach.

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/titans/2011/02/03/staff-questions-loom-for-titans/feed/0Giant words: Fewell ready to leadhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/titans/2011/02/02/giant-words-fewell-ready-to-lead/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/titans/2011/02/02/giant-words-fewell-ready-to-lead/#commentsWed, 02 Feb 2011 23:24:05 +0000JIM WYATT, The Tennesseanhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/titans/?p=12481DALLAS — Perry Fewell has already interviewed for three head coaching vacancies this offseason, and the Titans will be his fourth. The Giants defensive coordinator is expected to interview with the Titans in the coming days. On Wednesday they received permission to talk with him.

David Diehl, an offensive tackle for the Giants, said Fewell is qualified and ready to be a head coach full-time.

“He’s awesome,” Diehl said from Radio Row at the Super Bowl “Not only is he a great coach, but as far as a character guy there is nobody better. I know our defensive guys, they love him. He came in and in his first year guys rallied around him and believed in him and played lights out for him.”

Fewell was an assistant coach at Vanderbilt from 1995-97. He’s currently the only minority on the Titans’ list of candidates. Fewell served as interim coach of the Bills before taking over as defensive coordinator of the Giants last year.

Fewell is popular with players and other coaches, Diehl said.

“I think he is a great defensive coordinator and would be a great head coach. He’s provided leadership. He’s a guy that practices what he preaches,” Diehl said. “He has a true love for the game and is passionate. You see that on the field. He enjoys himself. We’d hate to lose him. But if he did get the job I’d congratulate him because he’d deserve it.”

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/titans/2011/02/02/giant-words-fewell-ready-to-lead/feed/1Search takes on Buffalo flavorhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/titans/2011/02/02/titans-search-takes-on-buffalo-flavor/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/titans/2011/02/02/titans-search-takes-on-buffalo-flavor/#commentsWed, 02 Feb 2011 21:08:22 +0000JOHN GLENNON, The Tennesseanhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/titans/?p=12462The Titans stayed in-house for two days, but the head-coaching search now is taking on a Buffalo flavor.

One former Bills head coach, Gregg Williams, will interview on Thursday for the job vacated by Jeff Fisher. The Titans have also received permission to interview two other former Bills head coaches: Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey and Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. The candidacies of all three were confirmed by league sources to The Tennessean’s Jim Wyatt.

Fewell may be familiar to Vanderbilt fans, as he coached the Commodores’ secondary from 1995-97 and was also an assistant head coach during his final season. He was the Giants defensive coordinator last season after spending four seasons as Buffalo’s defensive coordinator. Fewell was interim coach for the last seven games of the 2009 season, posting a 3-4 record.

Fewell has been a hot commodity already this offseason, having interviewed for head-coaching jobs in Carolina, Cleveland and Denver.

Williams earned a Super Bowl ring with the Saints last year, the second of his two seasons as defensive coordinator with the Saints. He also spent three years as Buffalo’s head coach, going 17-31 during that stretch. He has a long history with Houston/Tennessee. He spent 11 years with the organization, and was defensive coordinator from 1997-2000.

Mularkey has served as Falcons offensive coordinator for the past three seasons. Atlanta finished16th in total offense last season (fifth in points per game at 25.9), 13th in 2009 (13th in points per game at 22.7) and sixth in 2008 (10th in points per game at 24.4) Mularkey spent two seasons as Bills head coach, going 14-18 in 2004-05.